Celtic captain Brown hails 'exceptional' Rodgers

(Reuters) - Celtic captain Scott Brown has praised the early impact of new coach Brendan Rodgers as they prepare for their Champions League third qualifying round second leg against Astana on Wednesday. Rodgers moved to Celtic in May after being sacked by Liverpool in October 2015, and has already made a big impression at his new club, overseeing a change in playing style and introducing new faces such as defender Kolo Toure. "He's been exceptional," skipper Brown told Sky Sports. "He's a great manager to work under." "What he's done with Liverpool, Swansea, the way they played, the great style of football, we're trying to get that at Celtic Park," added the captain. "Everyone seems to be enjoying it." Celtic bounced back from a humiliating 1-0 defeat by Lincoln Red Imps to beat the Gibraltan part-timers 3-1 on aggregate to reach the next stage of the Champions League qualifiers. Brown is optimistic as the reigning Scottish champions prepare for their return leg against Astana following a 1-1 draw in Kazakhstan. "We played well on the day and could have maybe sneaked another one," he said. "It's going to be a good atmosphere at Celtic Park and we're looking forward to the game on Wednesday night." (Reporting by Ed Dove; Editing by Alison Williams)